Mario Williams is a partner at Lone Star Roofing, a third-generation family-owned and operated roofing company located in Texas. A graduate from the University of Texas, Williams is known throughout the state as an expert in commercial and industrial roofing techniques. In this article, he tells us what to ask when meeting a roofing contractor for the first time.

 When it comes to choosing a new roof for your home or commercial office building, a lot of decisions need to be made. However, one of the biggest mistakes that I see people making time and time again is that they go into the process of getting a new roof put on their home or commercial building without taking the time to understand the roofing problem they are having in the first place. Or, in addition, they go into it without understanding what course of action is needed to fix it.

 So the first thing—and the main thing—that many people do wrong when it comes to having a new roof installed is to not look at all of the decisions that are going to need to be made right up front. Here at Lone Star Roofing, we do commercial industrial roofing exclusively. But even with that, people need be going into a situation like this having already been aware of all the decisions that are going to have to be made.

 One reason this is so important has to do with comparing cost estimates. When a roofing contractor goes into a general-type job, there could be dozens of various ways he could handle it. When I go out to start a project on a new roof, I could really do any roof 20 or 25 different ways. So if a person doesn’t know what he or she is specifically looking for, then this person could end up getting 20 different estimates from various contractors, and none of those estimates would be the same.

 Unless you have two contractors giving estimates on the exact same roofing project—in terms of materials and all of those types of things—then you will not be comparing apples to apples when looking at estimates from different companies. So then, if someone just picks one of those estimates out of a pile—and this would be because he has not done research ahead of time—then they could just be choosing what looks like the cheapest estimate, even though that specific project could end up costing them more money in the long run. What I tell people is that it is really important to compare apples to apples when looking at estimates for a roofing job.

 Instead of doing that, though, what too many people do is they do not take the time to look at all the various materials and construction decisions ahead of time. And if they are not spending the time looking over those things before the project begins, then that is going to hurt them in the long run.

 I encourage people to get on their roofs and see what is going on. Some people, though, might not be experts in roofing. So they might not know which roofing system are going to be right for their needs before calling various contractors for estimates. In situations like this, and actually in most cases, I encourage customers to first call a roofing consultant to have a look at the potential job.

 Not only can a roofing consultant give you good information and let you know what kind of condition the roof is in, but he can also educate you on what kind of roof your currently have and what some good solutions could be. Based on your answers to a few questions, this consultant should be able to pinpoint exactly what kind of roofing construction you need done, which will help you get more exact estimates from the contractors themselves.

 So by the time you schedule a consultation with a roofing contractor, you should already understand your roofing problems and have decided which course of action you’re going to go with—often with the help of a roofing consultant. And once you’ve made these decisions, and let the contractors themselves know, then you’ll have a better chance of comparing apples to apples in terms of what the estimates really are.

Watch this video about roofing contractor

www.DrewsRoofingAndHomeRepair.com We are the only Choice in roofing and Home Repair if you want someone that cares about your project as much as you do. Guarenteed 910-845-2207 Wilmington and New hanover County Roofing and home repair Contractor What the customers are saying about… Please help to answer the question about roofing contractorhow can i be sure i am choosing the best roofing contractor?
roofing is like a major surgery to the house , so i want to make sure i am choosing the right one for that.

what should i be checking to make sure the contractor is not a fly by night type business?
About Author

Mario Williams -
About the Author:

Mario Williams is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Save money with the Guide to Roofing or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler. Also check out Getting the Most From Your Roofing Consultation

Mario Williams is a partner at Lone Star Roofing, a third-generation family-owned and operated roofing company located in Texas. A graduate of the University of Texas, Williams is known throughout the state as an expert in commercial and industrial roofing techniques. In this article, he tells us how hiring a roofing consultant can save you money in the end.

 A roofing consultant is someone who can come out and examine a job site to determine what needs to be done. This isn’t a contractor; it is a separate person or company who can give you unbiased advice on the status of your job and what needs to be done.

 Hiring someone like this can help you in all situations, but it is especially helpful if you are working on a big factory or a commercial building, a job that is over $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, all the way up to $100,000. With projects like this, hiring a roofing consultant who has been there before and is willing to come out and give his advice should be your first step after deciding that a new roof is what you need.

 Not only can a roofing consultant give you good information and let you know what kind of condition your roof is in to begin with, but he can also educate you on what kind of roof you currently have and what some good solutions to your current problem could be. This is going to help you become better prepared when getting estimates from contracting companies, and allow you to compare apples to apples in terms of what kind of roof you are really asking for.

 Usually, the decision to overlay a roof, patch it up, or just start over and tear the roof off and put a new one on is something that a roofing consultant can help a homeowner or building owner make after finding out a couple key factors. These common issues have to do with what this person plans to use the building for in the future.

 A few questions a roofing consultant might ask include:

Is the owner going to sell the building soon, or in three years or less?

Does the owner plan on renting the building out in the future?

Is the owner planning on keeping the building forever?

Are the owners hoping to pass this building down to their kids?

 The answers to those questions will all affect what the course of action is going to be in this kind of situation, and what is a good deal really is in terms of overall roofing materials and costs.

 For people who have never undertaken a roofing project before, hiring a roofing consultant is a great way to get insider knowledge. Using that knowledge, you can feel comfortable talking to various contractors about their estimates, knowing that you already have the background information to determine what is and is not a reasonable amount to spend on the project. And because the consultant should not be a roofer himself, there is no need to worry about any ulterior motives that might be influencing his advice.

Watch this video about roof repair contractor

This clip demonstrates how to repair rips in the fabric of a soft roof on a car. These slashes are often caused by vandals. It can be difficult to make a quality waterproof repair which looks good; however a good repair can be made with Stormsure Flexible Repair Adhesive. It will remain strong, yet flexible. It is tough but also waterproof and abrasion resistant. Ideal for leaking seams, windows and fixing trim too. Please help to answer the question about roof repair contractorwho is responsible for the follow up repair, the original contractor or their subcontractor?
Sequence of events…
New roof installed in late 2003.
April 2005, multiple leaks appear in front and back of home. Roofing company comes out to repair leaks.
Roofing company sends out a subcontractor to replace drywall and repair the wet plaster and paint ceilings late 2005.
Its now June 2009 and the wet-plaster work has separated from the ceiling and basically fallen away and leaving large holes in the ceiling. Think cafe tray size – two of them (where the roof leaks originally pooled).
I had an independent repair team come out to tell me how much it would cost to repair the initial ceiling repair. They stated it was done wrong to start with, hence the reason the patch to the wet plaster has pulled away and crumbled. I contracted the roofing company and requested that they address and correct the ceiling issue. They told me that their liability for the repair work was completed once their subcontractor completed the initial repair and if I have new problems, that I have to work it out with their subcontractor. That seems wrong to me. I believe that the roofing company should still be on the hook for the bad initial repair. – what do you think / know / have legal advise for?

Roofing co. also said ceiling repairs are not covered by a warranty. I fear I will have to go to small claims court.

Is it true, as the roofing company said that their liability for the ceiling repairs had ended and I, as the end consumer now have to work it out with their subcontractor? (who did not repair the wet plaster correctly (per the contractors I brought in to give me an estimate of what it will take to fix the original problem $900).
About Author

Mario Williams -
About the Author:

Mario Williams is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Save money with the Guide to Roofing or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler. Also check out How Roofing Consultants Can Save You Money

In this article, Mario Williams, a partner at Lone Star Roofing,  explains the most common reasons for needing to replace a hot tar roof.

 These days, the majority of commercial roofs out there are what we call built up or “hot tar” roofs. Because of this, we repair or replace hundreds of these roofs each year in our business at Lone Star Roofing. Of course, when you start talking about the reasons we are repairing this specific type of roof, there might be a couple of reasons that are common.

 The biggest reason is, obviously, because the roof is leaking on you. That’s a good reason to replace a roof. If your roof is leaking—whatever type of roofing material you have—that is never a good sign. One mistake people often make, though, is to think that one little drip means an entire roof needs to be replaced. Oftentimes, a hot tar roof doesn’t really need to be replaced at the first sign of a leak.

 If you stand in front of a leak coming through your roof and you just get a few little drips, then you probably have time to get someone to come out and fix the problem as long as you do so in a reasonable amount of time. In situation like this, where the leak is minimal, I would advise that you don’t replace the entire roof right away unless you have to.

 Instead, I would advise people to patch their roof in the necessary areas. There are a number of ways that you can patch a hot tar roof—these roofs are highly patchable. So you can easily hire someone to just come out to your property to patch it up. That is not a bad idea for a lot of people, since it can save them money.

Now, if you let that leak go and you neglect it—or if you have been patching it and patching it for years, and the insulation has gotten wet in the meantime—then you may have gone beyond the point or repair, and you may now have a reason why you are going to need to get a whole new hot tar roof.

 What you don’t want is wet insulation. To help people understand, there is the roof deck in your building, there is the insulation, and then you have the roofing. If you let it leak too much, then the insulation will get wet with water. In that case, you have to tear all that up. You just can’t go over wet insulation with more roofing and trap all that moisture in there because you will cause a problem with your roof deck. And once you have a problem with your roof deck, you are going to be inflating your bill because you have a whole other issue to resolve.

 So once your leak has gotten down to your insulation and caused wetness, you need to replace your entire hot tar—or built up—roof. Before that, most building owners or homeowners can simply call in a roofing contractor to do a bit of patching, which is going to save them a lot of money right up front. But, like I said, far and away the most common reason a person needs to replace his or her “hot tar” roof is because of a leak that has sprung up and wasn’t fixed quickly enough.

Watch this video about roof repair contractor

www.homerestorationsmd.com Welcome to another video from Home Restorations of Md where we performed roof repairs on this home in Laurel, Maryland. 1) Three pipe collars were replaced 2) Several shingles were installed and sealed with Geocel Tripolymer Sealant. 3) Two bathroom fans were resealed. 4) Ridge vents were resealed (upper and lower) and three end plugs were installed where there were none. 5) Gutters were respiked, retightened 6) One section of gutter guard was renailed and sealed. 7) Vent stack was resealed at the “umbrella flange” section. Tip: Have a roofing professional inspect your roof every year to prolong the life of your roof and eliminate interior damage. Pay special attention to the pipe collars, which we find to be the biggest culprit when it comes to roof leaks. Please help to answer the question about roof repair contractorwhere do i find a qualified contractor to repair or replace a second floor porch that's in danger due to rot?
About 6 feet deep by 22 feet across. Supported on 4 metal 6" posts. About 11 feet off the ground. The front of porch supports the building roof with 4 wood posts. The metal posts supporting the porch are right at the village sidewalk.

It's locate in Voorheesville, NY 10 miles southwest of Albany.
At least 15 contractors have looked at the job. Most say they're too busy right now (for last 3 months) some say it's too big a job for them. Several have said they could do it but I can't get a written commitment, or price. Many don't even return calls.

To get a permit to do the work requires:

1. Either proof of worker's compensation (WC) coverage OR written confirmation that WC is not needed because contractor has no employees.

2. Liability coverage naming me as additional insured.

3. sketch of work to be done.

4. Signed contract.
About Author

Mario Williams -
About the Author:

Mario Williams is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Save money with the Guide to Roofing or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler. Also check out Reasons to Replace a Hot Tar Roof

Mario Williams is a partner at Lone Star Roofing, a third-generation family owned and operated roofing company located in Texas. A graduate from the University of Texas, Williams is known throughout the state as an expert in commercial and industrial roofing techniques. In this article, he explains what a roofing warranty is and why it is so important that you get one.

 There are different kinds of warranties out there that can guarantee your project for a certain amount of time. The level of guarantee that you really have, however, will obviously vary with each warranty. Certain warranties may only be valid for one to three years, while others may stay in effect for up to five years or more. In genera,l many people regard the manufacturer warranty as the best guarantee should something go wrong. However, there are a handful of other options that homeowners and building owners should look into, as well.

 Workmanship Warranties

One of the many reasons why it is so important to hire an established, reputable roofing contractor is to help secure your workmanship warrantee.

 For those who don’t already know, a roofing warranty is supplied by your roofing contractor called a workmanship or labor warranty. The amount of time when your roof is covered by this warranty can vary in length from contractor to contractor. However, the average time that these warranties are usually valid is for one to three years after the initial roof was installed. Sometimes they can extend to five years on workmanship issues. However, that length is a little less common.

 These days, pretty much every reputable roofer will offer his customers some type of workmanship warranty. However, you had better really trust you contractor in these situations. I say this because your warranty is only as good as the contractor himself and the people you hire. If your contractor goes out of business the day after he finishes your roofing job, then you could be out of luck with the workmanship warranty. That’s why finding a contractor who has a solid reputation, and who you can trust, is so important.

Maintenance Contracts

 Another option that gives homeowners and building owners a certain level of guarantee is what is known as a maintenance contract.

 Maintenance contracts are something that you will usually purchase in addition to your regular construction fees. And what this contract usually means, although specific terms will obviously vary from contract to contract, is that the roofer will actually come back to the job site at a predetermined date in the future to do maintenance on your roof. Whether there is a leak or not, this contractor is guaranteeing that he will come back and take care of it for you and handle the important maintenance issues that can prevent problems in the future.

 Manufacturer Warranties

 Finally, there is of course the option of a manufacturer warranty. Although these are most common on major commercial jobs, they are often seen as one of the best ways to guarantee your roof and prevent problems in the future.

 When you are dealing with manufacturer warranties, an inspector from the manufacturing company itself goes to the job site on multiple occasions during the project to keep tabs on how everything is going. At the project’s completion, this inspector will hand out a special certificate that guarantees the quality of the roof. Should anything happen to the roof that was the fault of the materials or manufacturer, then that will be covered with a NDL warranty, which stands for No Dollar Limit.

 So workmanship (or labor) warranties, maintenance contracts, and manufacturer (or material) warranties are three of the most popular roofing guarantees. The option you choose, however, will depend on the size of the job and the materials being used.

Watch this video about roofing contractor

Dependable roofing contractor in Hemet California, Bill Paulsin Roofing 951-927-4239 experienced in roofing for 25 years. Handling all types of roofing projects such as emergency repairs, roofing, re-roofing, new construction for office buildings, apartments, homes, houses, condominiums and… Please help to answer the question about roofing contractorDid my roofing contractor make a mistake?
I needed some eavetroughing after my roof was put on and the eavetroughing contractor stated that I did not have a 'drip edge'. I was told by the eavetroughing contractor that the the roofing contractor should have advised me of this before going ahead and putting the roof on because it would now be incredibly difficult to install the drip edge. Should I have been advised of this by the roofing contractor before he threw on the new roof?
About Author

Mario Williams -
About the Author:

Mario Williams is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Save money with the Guide to Roofing or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler. Also check out Understanding Roofing Warranties

When you’re looking at hiring a roofing company, it is critical that you check their references before signing any contracts or getting a price for the job. References are a key part of the process when you’re looking for a roofer with an established reputation. What many people don’t know about this process, however, is really what the difference is between a reference and a referral.

 Here are some reasons why it’s important to get referrals and references before hiring a roofing contractor.

 References and referrals are both critical elements, but they are really two different things when you’re talking about hiring a roofing contractor.

 The way this can be explained is: A referral is when you tell a good friend that you are looking for a roofer, and that good friend tells you that he or she knows the perfect company for the job. A referral is when someone you know and trust has first-hand experience with the company, which makes it the premier way to find a roofing contractor that you are going to be able to trust. So referrals are the preferred way, and they are how you ideally are going to want to meet your roofing contractor.

 Now a contractor reference is totally different. A reference is when you don’t know anybody who knows anybody in the roofing construction business. So instead, you just call any company based off an advertisement you may have seen. And once you have called a few of these companies, what you are going to be doing is getting together a list of the references that each one has given you.

 Usually, any reputable roofing construction business is going to offer you a list of about three references, although it can sometimes be more or less than that. Either way though, it is important that you get a good list of a couple individuals who have been satisfied with each company’s work, as well as the physical addresses where their roofs were put on.

 Of course, you should call these people and make sure that they really were happy with the work. But it’s also important that you check out the physical address and the building where that roofing was done to get a better look at how this company’s work holds up. Climb up there on the roof and have a look around.

 It’s also important to meet with the references in person, if possible, to make sure they are really who they claim to be. If someone says he is the owner of the particular business in the area, of course that is easy to verify and you are probably fine with just a phone call. But what you are looking for is just to make sure that this person is who they have been advertised as being.

 So, like said earlier, while referrals are the optimum way to find a good roofing contractor that you are going to be able to trust, references are the next best thing. And you should never take a reference for granted—you should always be calling these people to make sure they are legitimate and that their projects turned out in a way that you would wants yours to turn out, too.

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Here at Integrity our number one goal is 100% Customer Satisfaction. After being in business for as long as we have, we know the importance of making you, the customer, happy. That’s why we continue to bring you the best products, the best craftsmanship, and the best customer service year after year right here in Anchorage, Alaska. This video clip was put together as a result of our products tremendous success following the powerful windstorms in the winter of 2008. Immediately following the storms we contacted each one of our several hundred customers, who had their roof replaced by us, how their roof held up. We found that not a single shingle blew off! That’s what you get when you use the best products, the best people, and the best company. Integrity Roofing, Siding, and Windows is a residential replacement contractor, in Anchroage Alaska. Integrity Services the Anchorage, Eagle River, and Chugiak area. Learn more about making a successful investment into your roofing, siding, or windows at www.integrityalaska.com. Please help to answer the question about roofing contractorhow can i be sure that i am choosing a good roofing contractor?
i want him to do some enviormentally friendly cool roofing.
About Author

Gary Trevano -
About the Author:

Mario Williams is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Save money with the Guide to Roofing or more Home Care articles at the Yodle Consumer Guide, The Yodler. Also check out What’s the Difference Between a Referral and a Reference?